Newspaper vending machine



March 26, 1963 c. L. HAWKS 3,082,912

NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE Filed May 25. 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ClarenceL. Haw/rs /0 INVENTOR.

BY ecu Wavy 3m March 1963 c. L. HAWKS 3,082,912

NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Clarence-.L. Hawks INWQHVTOR.

March 26, 1963 c. L. HAWKS 3,082,912

NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE Filed May 25, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ClarenceL. Haw/rs ZNVENTOR.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 C- L. HAWKS NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE wkth i March 26,1963 Filed May 25, 1959 Clarence L. Hawks v INVENTOK BY fizwm UnitedStates Patent Ofitice 3,082,912 Patented Mar. 26, 1963 3,982,912NEWSFAPEB VENDENG MAQHENE Clarence L. Hawks, Rte. 1, Fruita, 3010. FiledMay 25, 1959, Ser. No. 815,515 3 Qiaims. (Cl. 221213) This inventionrelates to a new and useful newspaper vending machine, and moreparticularly to a newspaper vending machine which is adapted to dispensenewspapers or similar relatively flat articles one at a time in responseto movement of an operating lever, the movement thereof being permittedor restricted by a coin-operated control means.

The main object of this invention is to provide a news paper vendingmachine that may be operated to dispense newspapers or the like one at atime only after a predetermined number of coins have been inserted in anequal number of corresponding coin slots.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the precedingobject, is to provide a dispensing mechanism for the n wspaper vendingmachine that will positively dispense or place at least a portion of thearticle being dispensed outside of the vending machine so that thearticles may then be grasped and entirely removed therefrom.

A further object is to provide a dispensing mechanism for a newspapervending machine that will positively engage and dispense from thevending machine a newspaper or similar article without rendering damageto the relatively thin paper material that would make the print thereonillegible.

A still further object, in accordance with the preceding object is toprovide a dispensing mechanism for a newspaper vending machine thatwill, when moving in one direction, move toward, engage, dispense, andmove away from an article being dispensed so that the article may thenbe withdrawn from the vending machine without the dispensing mechanismcausing damage thereto during the process.

Yet another object, in accordance with the preceding objects, is toprovide a dispensing mechanism for a news paper vending machine having acyclic motion that will have a starting point, move to a position toengage the article being dispensed, engage the article, dispense thearticle, and then be disengaged from the article and return to thestarting position being capable of reverse movement throughout theentire cycle except between the dispensing point and the starting pointwithout causing damage to the article being dispensed.

Another object is to provide a newspaper vending machine that will becapable of being operated in response to the insertion of a number ofcoins of various denominations into an equal number of coin slots withmeans for rendering one or more or all of the slots inoperable to theextent that the articles may be dispensed without having coins placed inthose slots thereby changing the cost of the items being dispensed.

And a final object to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide anewspaper vending machine of relatively simple construction requiringbut a small number of machined parts so that the vending machine willrequire little maintenance, be of sturdy construction, be simple tooperate, and be economically feasible.

These together with other objects and advantages which ill becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter nism which is used to maintain onenewspaper in position to be dispensed from the dispensing slot at alltimes;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the newspaper vendingmachine with the front and one of the sides thereof being broken awayand with various components of the vending machine omitted in order toclarify the construction of the operating and dispensing mechanisms,parts of the housing being shown in section;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantiallyupon the plane indicated by the section line 33 of FIGURE 1 showing thedouble track rack that guides the feed mechanism through its dispensingcycle;v

FIGURE 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantiallyupon the plane indicated by the section line 44 of FIGURE 3,illustrating the details of construction of the coin operated controlmechanism;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view similarto FIGURE 3 but showing the feed rack in the double track rack; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional viewtaken substantially upon the plane indicated by section line 66 ofFIGURE 3.

The newspaper vending machine of the instant invention is generallyreferred to by the reference numeral 8 and comprises a housing assemblygenerally designated by the reference numeral 16 having therein a coincontrolled mechanism, an operating assembly, a magazine or storageassembly, and a dispensing assembly generally referred to by thenumerals 12, 14, 16 and 18 respectively. The housing assembly 10comprises a framework of angle members generally referred to by thereference numeral 29 and has end walls 22, top wall 24, bottom wall 26,and front and rear walls 28 and 30. The front wall 28 has a viewingwindow 32 so that the headlines of the papers or the like containedwithin the vending machine 8 may be seen from the outside, a pluralityof coin slots 34 through which coins may be inserted, and a slot 36through which the operating handle 38 of the operating assembly 14extends.

The magazine or storage assembly 16 includes an inclined ramp 40, seeFIGURE 1, on which a wheeled follower 42 or the like is placed to keepthe newspapers 44 in a side-by-side relation disposed vertically so asto positionthe newspaper 44 remote from the wheeled follower 42 inposition to be dispensed from the dispensing slot 46 which is formed inone of the end walls 22 adjacent a described and claimed, referencebeing had to the ac dispensing'assembly 18. A hinged closure 43 isadapted to seal the dispensing slot 46 when the latter is not being usedto dispense a newspaper 44 from the vending machine 8.

It is to be understood that the hinged closure 4-8 may have a springmeans urging it toward the closed position, and also that the wheeledfollower may be provided with suitable supports so as to insure that itwill maintain a substantially vertical position within the housingassembly 10 With attention now drawn to FIGURES 5 and 6 in particular,it will be seen that the movement of the dispensing assembly 18 iseffected by movement of pivot bar 50 through a sliding pin and slotconnection 52 which connects the double-hinged link assembly 54 to thefeeder rack 56 that has projecting from the upper and lower surfacesthereof a pair of guide lugs 58 which are disposed in the grooves of theupper and lower double groove rack elements 60 which effect a cyclicmovement of the feeder rack 56 upon the reciprocation of the pivot bar5%. The two double groove racks 60 are identical in that they effect thesame cyclic motion to both the upper and lower ends of the feeder rack56, and therefore it is deemed necessary to describe only one of thesame herein. Each of the double groove racks 60 has therein a pair ofidentical double-track grooves 62, and with attention drawn moreparticularly to FIGURE 3 of the drawings it will be seen that eachdouble groove 62 comprises a pair of parallel grooves with one groove 64adjacent to and in parallel relation to the newspapers 44. The secondgroove 66 is adjacent the front wall 28 of the housing assembly 10 andis in communication with the ends of thegrooves 64 at correspondingopposite ends by means of diagonal grooves 65. It is to be understoodthat the lugs 58 travel in the grooves 64 and 66 in a counter-clockwisedirection and that when positioned at the extreme right, as seen inFIGURE 3, that the rack 56 is in that position immediately after thefeeder rack 56 has dispensed a newspaper 44- from the dispenser 8.

With attention now drawn more particularly to FIG- URE 5 of thedrawings, it will be noted that the feeder rack 56 can be seen in aposition dispensing a newspaper 44 from the vending machine 8 and thatthe guide lugs 58 are disposed in the slot 64. The feeder rack 56 hasprojecting from its side adjacent the newspapers 44 a plurality ofengaging elements 68 which are adapted to engage the newspapers 44during the movement of the feeder rack 56 through the grooves 64 towardthe dispensing slot 46. Further, it will be noted that the double-hingedlink assembly 54 enables the feeder rack 56 to progress through itscyclic path during the reciprocating movement of the pivot bar 50.

The operating assembly 14 comprises an operating handle 38 which ispivotally secured to the angle members 28 of the housing assembly as at70, see FIGURE 2. The pivotal movement of the free end of the operatinghandle 38 elfects the pivotal movement of the drawbar 74 which is alsopivotally secured at one end to the angle members 20 as at 76. Thepivotal movement of the drawbar 74 is effected by means of a pair ofconnector bars 72 which are pivotally secured atone end to operatinghandle 38 and at the other end to one end of drawbar 74. That end ofdrawbar 74 is disposed substantially directly beneath the correspondingend of operating handle 38. The end of the pivot bar 50 remote from thesliding slot and pin connection 52 is also pivotally secured tothchousing 10 as at 78, and thereis secured intermediate the ends of pivotbar 50 one end of connecting element 80 which has pivotally securedtoits free end as at 82 the corresponding ends of a pair of connectingstraps 84 the other ends of which are pivotally secured to drawbar 74intermediate the ends thereof as at 86. 7

With reference to FIGURES 2 and 6 in particular, it will be noted thatthe upward movement of the free end of the operating handle 38 willeffect upward movement of the free end of the drawbar 74 which will inturn, by means of connecting straps 84 effect the clockwise rota tion ofthe pivot bar 50 causing movement of the feeder rack 56 toward theoperating handle 38.

Referring now more particularly to FIGURE 4 of the drawing, it will benoted that there is provided, in communication with each of the coinslots 34 a coin chute 88 which is in communication with a coin box 90 atits lower end. Each of the coin chutes 88 has an opening 92 in theforward edge thereof. There is also provided a stop pin 94 in alignmentwith the upper edge of the opening 92 adjacent the remote edge of eachcoin chute 88. Pivotally secured to operating handle 38 a spaceddistance forward of and in alignment with each of the coin slots 88 is acoin-trigger 96. The coin triggers 96 are pivotally secured to theoperating handle 38 by means of a transverse pin 98 and his to beunderstood that the coin triggers 96 may be spaced along the transversepin 98 by any suitable manner so that each of the coin triggers 96 willbe in alignment with one of the coin chutes 88. Each of the cointriggers 96 has an enlarged lower end with a cam surface 100 thereonwhich is adapted to extend through the corresponding openings 92 andinto the coin chutes 88. The enlarged lower end portions of 4. each ofthe coin triggers 96 present an obstruction to coins passing downwardthrough each of the coin chutes 88 and the opposite ends of each of thecoin triggers 96 are provided with notches 182 which are adapted toengage p the upper limits of the opening 104 which is formed inthetrigger lock frame 106.

The operating handle 38 also has pivotally secured thereto by means ofpivot pin 108 a plurality of rocker arms 110. The rocker arms 110 areequal in number to the coin triggers 96 and have pivotally secured tothe upper end of each one end of a connecting rod 112, the other end ofwhich is pivotally secured to the corresponding coin trigger 96 abovethe transverse pin 98. Secured between the upper end of each rocker arm110 and the operating handle 38 is an expansion spring 114 whichresiliently urges each of the coin triggers 96 into engagement with atrigger lock frame to restrict the upward movement of the free end ofthe operating handle 38.

Fixedly secured to the bottom wall 26 of the housing 10 is an upstandingsupport 116 which has pivotally secured thereto by means of pivot bolt118 a plurality of cam elements 120 equal in number to rocker arms 110.Each of the cam elements 120 is suitably spaced in position on pivotbolt 118 and is in alignment with the corresponding rocker arm 110. Oneend of each of the cam elements 120 has a control rod 122 pivotallysecured thereto and on the other end a cam surface 124 which is adaptedto engage the adjacent surface of the corresponding rocker arm 110. Theupper ends of the control rods 122 are passed through retaining elements126 that are suitably secured to the adjacent side wall 22 of thehousing assembly 10, each of the retaining elements 126 being adapted tofrictionally engage the corresponding control rod 122 to retain it inadjusted positions.

Secured to each of the cam elements 12!) adjacent the end having the camsurface 124 thereon is one end of an expansion spring 128, the other endof each being suitably secured to one of the angle members 20 as at 130.It will be noted that upon the upward movement of either the controlrods 122 that the corresponding. cam element 120 is pivoted so that itscam surface 124 engages the adjacent edge of the corresponding rockerarm 110 to pivot it about pivot pin 108 to move the notch 102 of thecorresponding coin trigger 96 from engagement with the trigger lockframe 106. It will also be noted that the point 13am which one end ofthe expansion springs 28 are secured is located so as to in effect causethe expansion spring 128 to yieldingly retain the corresponding camelement 120 in adjusted position either in engagement with thecorresponding rocker arm 110 or in a position with the cam surface 124thereof a spaced distance from the adjacent edge of the rocker arm 110.The cam surface 108 on the enlarged lower end portion of each of thecoin triggers 96 stop the downward travel of the coin 132 through thecorresponding coin chute S8, and it will be noted that when theoperating handle 38 is raised that when the correct coin 132 ispositioned between the cam surface 100 and the stop pin 94, that thecoin 132 will act as a cam to move corresponding notch 102 out ofengagement with a trigger lock frame against the force of the expansionspring 114. It is to be understood that the control rods 122 are to bemoved as desired in order to pivot the corresponding coin triggers outof engagement with the trigger lock frame if it is desired that thecorresponding coin chute 88 is not to be used to stop a customer frominserting a coin. into a coin slot which will not have any effect uponthe coin controlled mechanism.

It is to be understood that any number of coin chutes 88 and thecorresponding cooperating elements may be provided in order to providethe dispensing of articles from the vending machine 8 costing differentamounts. For example, if four chutes 88 were provided together with anequal number of related corresponding elements,

two of the coin chutes for nickels, one of the coin chutes for dimes,and the other for quarters, the vendingmachine 8 could be set todispense articles priced at five set intervals from nothing per articleto 45 cents per article. For example, as shown in FIGURE 4, if thevending machine 8 was set to dispense articles costing a dime, all ofthe coin triggers except one cooperating with a ten cent chute would bepivoted to an inoperative position leaving only that one coin trigger 96engaging the trigger lock frame 106 to stop the upward movement of theoperating handle 38. If a dime or coin 132 was inserted in the operativechute S8 and positioned between the cam 'surface 100 and the stop pin94, as the free end of the operating handle is moved in an upwarddirection the cam surface 100 would raise the coin 132 until it engagedthe stop pin 94, further movement of the operating handle then effectingthe pivotal movement of the corresponding coin trigger 96 moving itsnotch 102 out of engagement with the trigger lock frame 106. Without acoin trigger 96 restricting the movement of the operating handle 38 itcould be moved in an upward direction until the feeder rack 56 is movedto the extreme left position of FIGURES 3 through 6 whereupon thedownward movement of the operating handle 38 would cause the lugs 58 tomove through the groove 64 whereupon the engagement element 68 wouldengage a newspaper 44 and move it through the dispensing slot 46.

It is to be understood that the grooves 64 and 66 and the connecting endpassages may be formed in a unitary track rack or that suitably shapedblocks 136 and 137 may be secured by fasteners 138 to form the desiredshaped groove. The blocks 136 define the outer end peripheral edges ofthe isosceles trapezoidal path formed by the grooves 64, 66 and 65 andthe blocks 137 define the inner peripheral edges of the isoscelestrapezoidal path. Further, any convenient means may be utilized such asexpansion spring 140 to return the operating handle 38 to a positionwhere the feeder rack 56 will have disengaged completely from thenewspaper 44 and be positioned at the end of the groove 62 adjacent thedelivery slot 46 in position to dispense the next newspaper 44 from thevending machine 8.

With attention drawn now more particularly to FIG- URES 3 to 5 the edgeof each of the blocks 137 encircled by the double-track grooves 62adjacent the dispensing slot 46 is provided with an irregular surface asat 142 to restrict the backward movement of the feeder rack 56. Further,the blocks 136 defining the ends of the grooves 64 and 66 remote fromthe delivery slot 46 are each provided with a pocket 143 having a camsurface 145 for laterally offsetting the position of the feeder rack 56from the grooves 66 into the grooves 65 extending toward the newspapers44 upon movement of the feeder rack 56 to the ends of the double trackgrooves 62 remote from the delivery slot 46 whereby it is assured thatinitial operation of the handle to dispense a news paper will effectforward movement of said rack through grooves 65 extending toward thenewspapers 44 and not rearward movement through the groove 62 remotefrom the newspapers 44. A person using the vending machine 8 couldtherefore not move the operating handle 38 to return or to move thefeeder rack 56 in a reverse direction after a newspaper 44 has beenpartially dispensed from the vending machine 8 thereby allowing theoperation of the dispensing mechanism in the correct manner only. Afterthe newspaper 44 has been dispensed, as the operating handle 38 isreleased, the expansion spring 140, see FIGURE 4, will return the freeend thereof to its lowest position which will move the feeder rack 56 tothe end of the double-track groove 62 adjacent the dispensing slot 46whereupon the lugs 58 will have moved past the non-return springs 144.It is therefore to be understood that once a paper has been dispensedthrough slot 46 that the feeder rack will automatically be positionedadjacent that end of the housing assemblylt) with the coin triggers 96having their notches 102 in engagement with a trigger lock frame 106thereby locking the operating handle 38 against movement unless thecorrect coins 132 are inserted into the corresponding coin chutes 88.

Although the engaging elements 68 have been illustrated for the purposeof dispensing newspapers from the vending machine 8 it is to beunderstood that suitable engaging elements would be used for differentarticles that are to be dispensed from the vending machine 8.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An article vending machine comprising a housing, a dispensing slot insaid housing, means for storing a plurality of articles in said housingin side-by-side relation with one of said articles in a position to bedispensed through said slot, a movable operating handle, said operatinghandle being operatively connected to a feeder mechanism, said feedermechanism being engageable with said one article to dispense the latterthrough said dispensing slot upon movement of said handle in onedirection, coin control mechanism means controlling the movement of saidoperating handle, said feeder mechanism including a feed rack disposedadjacent said articles and having article engaging elements on the sideadjacent said articles, mounting means mounting said feeder rack in saidhousing for cyclic movement through a substantially isoscelestrapezoidal path, the two non parallel sides of said path being inwardlyconvergent toward said articles and the two parallel sides thereof beingsubstantially parallel to said articles, said mounting means defining,in the first non-parallel sides of said path extending away from saidarticles toward said slot, means preventing reverse movement of saidfeeder rack therethrough and non-return means at the juncture of saidfirst non-parallel side extending away from said articles toward saidslot and the first parallel side preventing reverse movement of saidfeeder rack from said first parallel side into said first nonparallelside, said mounting means also including means at the juncture of theend of the first parallel side adjacent the end of the secondnon-parallel side for laterally deflecting said feeder rack from the endof said first parallel side remote from said slot into the adjacent endof said second non-parallel side remote from said articles upon movementof said rack along said first parallel side to the end thereof remotefrom said slot.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said feeder rack has a pair ofprojecting lugs on opposite ends thereof, said rack being disposedbetween a pair of double groove racks with each having a double trackgroove and comprising said mounting means defining said path, each pairof lugs being slidably disposed in one of said double track grooveswhereby to positively guide the movement of the feeder rack, each doubletrack groove comprising a pair of parallel grooves substantiallyparallel to said articles, the corresponding ends of said grooves beingin communication by means of diagonal grooves, said diagonal groovesbeing inwardly convergent whereby when said rack is positioned with itslugs in the base groove at the end remote from said dispensing slot, theforward movement of said rack through the adjacent diagonal groove andthe parallel groove adjacent said articles toward said dispensing slotwill effect the engagement of said one article by said article engagingelements and the movement of the article through the dispensing slot,the further forward movement of the feeder rack through the diagonalgroove adjacent said dispensing slot moving the feeder rack out ofengagement with said article into the end of the parallel groove remotefrom said articles adjacent the dispensing slot.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein saidv mounting means includesmeans prohibiting rearward movement of said lugs through said secondnon-parallel side remote from said dispensing slot into said firstparallel side remote from said articles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS435,370 Stevens Aug. 26, 1890 8 H01: Mar. 31, 1903 Halvorsen Dec. 15,1914 Turney Feb. 19, 1918 Hotaling Nov. 19, 19 18 Germain Mar. 23, 1920Pfund Dec. 26, 1922 Mitchusson J an. 3, 1928 Nelson Apr. 9, 1929 Fry"June 3, 1930 Nelson Ian. 13, 1931 Graham Sept. 12, 1950

1. AN ARTICLE VENDING MACHINE COMPRISING A HOUSING, A DISPENSING SLOT INSAID HOUSING, MEANS FOR STORING A PLURALITY OF ARTICLES IN SAID HOUSINGIN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION WITH ONE OF SAID ARTICLES IN A POSITION TO BEDISPENSED THROUGH SAID SLOT, A MOVABLE OPERATING HANDLE, SAID OPERATINGHANDLE BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO A FEEDER MECHANISM, SAID FEEDERMECHANISM BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID ONE ARTICLE TO DISPENSE THE LATTERTHROUGH SAID DISPENSING SLOT UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID HANDLE IN ONEDIRECTION, COIN CONTROL MECHANISM MEANS CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENT OF SAIDOPERATING HANDLE, SAID FEEDER MECHANISM INCLUDING A FEED RACK DISPOSEDADJACENT SAID ARTICLES AND HAVING ARTICLE ENGAGING ELEMENTS ON THE SIDEADJACENT SAID ARTICLES, MOUNTING MEANS MOUNTING SAID FEEDER RACK IN SAIDHOUSING FOR CYCLIC MOVEMENT THROUGH A SUBSTANTIALLY ISOSCELESTRAPEZOIDAL PATH, THE TWO NONPARALLEL SIDES OF SAID PATH BEING INWARDLYCONVERGENT TOWARD SAID ARTICLES AND THE TWO PARALLEL SIDES THEREOF BEINGSUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID ARTICLES, SAID MOUNTING MEANS DEFINING,IN THE FIRST NON-PARALLEL SIDES OF SAID PATH EXTENDING AWAY FROM SAIDARTICLES TOWARD SAID SLOT, MEANS PREVENTING REVERSE MOVEMENT OF SAIDFEEDER RACK THERETHROUGH AND NON-RETURN MEANS AT THE JUNCTURE OF SAIDFIRST NON-PARALLEL SIDE EXTENDING AWAY FROM SAID ARTICLES TOWARD SAIDSLOT AND THE FIRST PARALLEL SIDE PREVENTING REVERSE MOVEMENT OF SAIDFEEDER RACK FROM SAID FIRST PARALLEL SIDE INTO SAID FIRST NON-PARALLELSIDE, SAID MOUNTING MEANS ALSO INCLUDING MEANS AT THE JUNCTURE OF THEEND OF THE FIRST PARALLEL SIDE ADJACENT THE END OF THE SECONDNON-PARALLEL SIDE FOR LATERALLY DEFLECTING SAID FEEDER RACK FROM THE ENDOF SAID FIRST PARALLEL SIDE REMOTE FROM SAID SLOT INTO THE ADJACENT ENDOF SAID SECOND NON-PARALLEL SIDE REMOTE FROM SAID ARTICLES UPON MOVEMENTOF SAID RACK ALONG SAID FIRST PARALLEL SIDE TO THE END THEREOF REMOTEFROM SAID SLOT.